ADAMS OBFUSCATION FAILS TO PROVIDE ANSWERS

Labour Leader Brendan Howlin has criticised Gerry Adams for failing to provide open and honest answers that the Stack family deserve when he made his statement to Dáil Éireann this evening. Speaking afterwards, Deputy Howlin said:

“What we saw in the Dáil today was the type of obfuscation we have become accustomed to hearing from Gerry Adams when faced with any the many skeletons that live in his closet.

“Deputy Adams confirmed information that was already in the public domain – namely that he brought the Stack brothers to meet with a person he only describes as a former IRA leader.

“This person was clearly tasked with investigating the murder of Brian Stack. Deputy Adams now needs to identify to the Gardaí the individual assigned to carry out this investigation, and needs to confirm whether this person will make himself available to assist with the ongoing Garda investigation.

“More centrally, Deputy Adams needs to confirm whether he knows the identity of the person who murdered Brian Stack. Assuming that he does know the identity of the murdered, it is incumbent upon him to make this name known to the Gardaí.

“It is rare that the Dáil makes time available to a member of the House to make a statement on a personal matter. It is a shame that Gerry Adams failed to use the opportunity provided today to provide the answers the Stack family deserve. Worse than that, at one point he appeared to seek victim status for himself, and to blame Austin Stack for the continuing public debate over this matter.”